The 10 Most Underrated Catherine Zeta Jones Movies, Ranked (From Least to Most Underrated)

Catherine Zeta Jones has worked across swashbucklers, thrillers, musicals, and intimate dramas, often shaping a film with precise character work and sharp timing. Beyond the most publicized hits, her filmography includes titles that show range across period pieces, heists, and character driven stories.

This countdown gathers ten movies featuring Zeta Jones and lays out what each film is about, who made it, and what she does in it. The selections cover leading roles and key supporting turns, with details on directors, co stars, and story focus so you can spot which ones to add to a watchlist.

‘Death Defying Acts’ (2007)

The film centers on Harry Houdini’s challenge offering a reward to anyone who can contact his late mother, which draws in a Scottish stage medium and her daughter. Gillian Armstrong directs a period drama that blends stagecraft, grief, and deception against a backdrop of music hall performances.

Catherine Zeta Jones plays Mary McGarvie, a performer whose act relies on intuition and showmanship as she navigates Houdini’s test and the risks that come with it. The story pairs her with Guy Pearce’s Houdini and explores how fame, money, and belief complicate every decision the characters make.

‘Intolerable Cruelty’ (2003)

Joel and Ethan Coen craft a screwball legal comedy about a star divorce attorney whose airtight prenup meets a formidable opponent. The plot moves through law offices, courtrooms, and lavish homes as contracts and betrayals collide.

Zeta Jones plays Marilyn Rexroth, a strategist who understands leverage and timing in a world ruled by settlements and image. Her scenes with George Clooney’s Miles Massey show how each character treats marriage as negotiation, turning romantic beats into a duel of tactics.

‘No Reservations’ (2007)

This remake of the German film ‘Mostly Martha’ follows a perfectionist head chef whose life changes when she becomes guardian to her young niece. A new sous chef arrives with a looser style in the kitchen, challenging routines and opening space for family and teamwork.

Zeta Jones anchors the kitchen as Kate Armstrong, running service with precision while learning to balance mentorship and home life. Scenes with Abigail Breslin and Aaron Eckhart trace how recipes, schedules, and responsibility shift when work and family blend under the pressure of dinner service.

‘Ocean’s Twelve’ (2004)

The sequel sends the crew to Europe after a wealthy target demands payback, leading to a string of elaborate jobs across Amsterdam, Rome, and Paris. Steven Soderbergh keeps the ensemble moving through double crosses, art theft, and a rivalry with a master thief known as the Night Fox.

Zeta Jones joins the team dynamic as Isabel Lahiri, a Europol investigator with history tied to Brad Pitt’s Rusty Ryan. Her investigation frames key heists and adds a procedural thread that intersects with the crew’s planning, surveillance, and misdirection.

‘The Mask of Zorro’ (1998)

A new Zorro is trained by the original masked hero to stop a plot involving gold, land, and revenge in Alta California. Martin Campbell stages sword fights, horseback chases, and duels that rely on choreography and practical stunt work.

Zeta Jones plays Elena, whose past and identity connect directly to the legacy of Zorro and the villain’s scheme. Her scenes with Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins blend romance, wit, and fencing set pieces, including the signature ballroom encounter and the training sequences.

‘Side Effects’ (2013)

This psychological thriller follows a psychiatrist and his patient after a new prescription leads to unexpected consequences. Steven Soderbergh builds the story through therapy sessions, pharmaceutical marketing, and court proceedings that question motive and credibility.

Zeta Jones plays Dr. Victoria Siebert, a clinician whose professional ties and past cases become central to the unraveling mystery. The film positions her opposite Rooney Mara and Jude Law as medical records, trial strategy, and clinical ethics drive each turn.

‘Chicago’ (2002)

The musical tracks two vaudeville hopefuls whose murder trials turn them into celebrities, with numbers staged as performances that mirror press coverage and courtroom spectacle. Rob Marshall adapts the stage show with stylized choreography, editing, and cabaret framing.

Zeta Jones appears as Velma Kelly, delivering showpieces that frame the media savvy and ambition at the center of the story. The production’s design and ensemble work align with her vocals and dance numbers, and the film earned multiple Academy Awards including her win for Best Supporting Actress.

‘The Terminal’ (2004)

An air traveler is stranded by a sudden change in his home country’s status and ends up living inside an airport while trying to resolve paperwork. Steven Spielberg builds a contained world using a full scale terminal set, focusing on routines, friendships, and small acts of resourcefulness.

Zeta Jones plays Amelia Warren, a flight attendant whose schedule briefly overlaps with the traveler’s new life in the terminal. Her scenes with Tom Hanks trace how connection forms within layovers and gate changes, adding a human thread to a story about rules, borders, and patience.

‘High Fidelity’ (2000)

A record store owner revisits past relationships while organizing his life into lists that sort music and memory. Stephen Frears sets the story amid bins of vinyl, live gigs, and customer banter that ground the character’s personal inventory.

Zeta Jones plays Charlie Nicholson, an ex whose charisma and social circle stand out in the protagonist’s retelling. The film places her within a timeline of partners that shape how taste, status, and nostalgia color the way people remember a breakup.

‘Traffic’ (2000)

Interlocking stories follow law enforcement, politicians, traffickers, and families on both sides of the border as strategies to slow the drug trade collide. Steven Soderbergh uses distinct visual palettes to separate locations and threads while the narrative moves through investigations and policy decisions.

Zeta Jones plays Helena Ayala, whose family life changes after a major arrest pushes her into contact with suppliers and rivals. Her arc intersects with federal operations and cartel business, showing how money routes, security, and legal pressure alter choices for everyone involved.

Share your picks and the hidden gems you think belong on this list in the comments.